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During pregnancy, your body goes through many changes as it your baby grows and develops. As your tummy grows the curve in your lower back increases, your posture changes and your pelvis changes its shape. These changes may cause back pain and discomfort. If your pelvis wasn’t properly aligned before pregnancy, due to all the stress and strain we place on our bodies throughout our lives; this increases the risk of discomfort for both yourself and your baby.

Chiropractic care during pregnancy not only helps to provide a more comfortable pregnancy; it also maintains and improves the balance and alignment of your spine and pelvis. This is important as when the pelvis is misaligned, it may reduce the amount of room available for your developing baby, this is called intra-uterine constraint. Intra-uterine constraint may restrict the baby’s movement within the womb, which can potentially affect the way your baby grows and reduces your baby’s ability to get into an optimal birthing position. This may affect your ability to have a natural, non-invasive birth.

Chiropractic care also stimulates your nervous system, including the reproductive organs, improving the mother health and supporting the baby’s needs during pregnancy and birth.

The Webster technique is a specific chiropractic technique used for pregnant mothers. It reduces interference to the nervous system and balances the pelvis, muscles and ligaments. It is successful in relieving intra-uterine constraint – allowing your baby to move around freely within your womb. With a balanced pelvis, babies have a greater chance of moving into the correct position for birth, and the worry associated with breech and posterior presentation is greatly decreased.

Studies have shown that chiropractic care significantly reduces labour time. First time moms had an average of a 24% shorter labour time, and experienced moms had an average of a 39% reduction in labour time. Studies also show that with regular chiropractic care during pregnancy, there is a 50% decrease in the need for painkillers during delivery.

References:
• Fallon, J. The effects of chiropractic treatment in pregnancy and labour: A comprehensive study. Proceedings of the world federation of chiropractic, 1991:24-31.
• Fallon, J. Chiropractic and pregnancy: A partnership of the future. ICA review Nov/Dec 1990 (pg. 39-42).
• Frietag, P. Comparing the results of two neighbouring hospitals. May 1987.
• Henderson, I. American medical association records released in 1987 during a trial in the U.S.
• www.welladjustedbabies.com
• www.americanpregnancy.org
• www.icpa4kids.org
• Borggren, C. Pregnancy and chiropractic: a narrative review of the literature. Journal of chiropractic medicine, 2007:70-74.
• Ohm, J. The Webster technique: A technique for pregnant woman.26/06/2008

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We are currently moving our blog into a new format. Please be patient while we move the articles across.

Did you know that there are thousands of emergency room visits every year due to injuries related to book bags? Your children’s school bags could be the start of back pain that they may continue to have throughout their lives! Was your school bag the source of your pain over the years? Is your lap-top bag continuing to cause your back problems?

75% of children between 12 and 18 years old suffer from some form of back pain with backpack weight contributing significantly to their pain, a study done in Italy on the over-packing of backpacks showed that the average child regularly carries a back pack that weighs more than 30% of their body weight. These children often suffer from neck pain, mid-back or lower back pain; however some may only have the effects of carrying heavy backpacks later on in life as adults.

In an article by Dr Dean Wright, president of the Ontario Chiropractic Association he states, "Carrying a poorly designed or overloaded backpack can place excessive weight on a child's growing spinal column." He continued, "This kind of daily stress and strain can lead to serious back pain, changes in posture and gait, and potential irritation and injury of the spine, joints and muscles."

Here are some tips for both you and your children:

Your child’s backpack should not weight more than 5 to 10% of your child’s body weight. The same rule applies to you and your laptop bag.

The backpack/laptop bag should never hang more than 4 inches below the waistline.

Buy yourself and your child a bag that has 2 shoulder straps – wide, padded straps are the best. Use both shoulder straps when carrying the bag. This distributes the weight over both your shoulders, not only on one. Adjust the straps to fit your body or your child’s body.

I hope you had an enjoyable holiday season and travelled safely on the roads!

Start the new year off right by committing to a healthier lifestyle.

The American Chiropractic Association has come up with 10 healthy New Years resolutions that everyone should follow.

They are:

I will limit my intake of caffeinated coffee, sodas and teas. The caffeine in these drinks can cause dehydration and can rob the body of essential nutrients. Stick to water, natural juices and other decaffeinated beverages.

I will avoid over medicating myself and my family. Many over-the-counter and prescription medications have unknown side effects. Discuss alternative remedies with a doctor of chiropractic.

I will not carry a heavy purse or briefcase with its strap over my shoulder, unless I place the strap over my head on the side opposite the bag. Wearing a shoulder strap over one shoulder unevenly places the weight of the bag on one side of the body, potentially causing shoulder and back pain.

I will not allow my children to carry backpacks that weigh more than 10 percent of their body weight. Beyond that weight, the backpack can cause the wearer to bend forward in an attempt to support the weight on his or her back, instead of the shoulders.

I will not lift heavy objects over my head. These types of movements can strain muscles and affect nerves, causing severe neck, shoulder and arm problems.

I will not turn my torso while lifting relatively heavy objects. This rotates the spine and can bring on a "back attack."

I will avoid the habit of consistently crossing the same knee over the other. Such a habit can also eventually cause misalignment of the spine.

I will try to keep moving while I'm at work. If sedentary for the majority of the work day, it is very important to take periodic stretch breaks. Get up from the desk and take a brief walk, and stretch arms and legs as frequently as possible to avoid postural and spinal stress.

I will, when using a shovel - in winter or summer - remember to push rather than lift, whenever possible.

I will use luggage with wheels whenever possible. Carrying, lifting and moving a heavy suitcase can ruin a vacation.

I hope these resolutions help you find a healthier, better you for 2014!

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Chiropractic for Sports

Every coach wants their athletes, as well as every athlete wants to perform at their best whilst they are training and competing. It does not matter if you are a cyclist, rower, runner, swimmer or gymnast; the end goal is to perform at your peak.

To excel in the sports arena, your body needs to function optimally. Chiropractic care can play a very important role in achieving and maintaining optimal balance within your body. Chiropractic care can help with enhancement of your sporting performance, rehabilitation after a sports injury as well as preventing injuries before they can occur. This is done by enhancing the function of your nervous system, restoring proper joint motion throughout your body as well as enhancing muscular balance. Regular chiropractic care can improve your reaction time, mobility, flexibility and co-ordination while decreasing your risk of injury and aiding in faster recovery time.

Many athletes such as: Golfer - Tiger Woods, Tennis player - Roger Federer, Cyclist - Lance Armstrong, Rower - Anna Cummins and Boxer - Evander Holyfield, to name a few get regular chiropractic care. They do this while training and prior to any competitions to ensure they perform at their peak. They then receive treatment after competition to enhance their recuperative process after the stress placed on their bodies during their events.

Most sporting injuries are due to repetitive micro strains caused by incorrect joint movements, sudden movements or accidents. Sporting injuries often include conditions like sprains, strains, tendonitis and bursitis. You can help prevent these injuries by getting regular chiropractic care.

Research has shown that chiropractic care can significantly improve mobility, agility, balance, power, reaction time and kinaesthetic perception (Awareness of your body and limb position). Chiropractic can also improve attention span and concentration levels.

For athletes, regular chiropractic care is essential for optimising performance. In the same way that you would not drive a car without getting a regular service, a chiropractic ‘tune up’ should be considered a regular part of your sporting preparation. This will allow you to perform at your peak, as well as minimising injury and enhancing recovery.

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Why do stomach crunches hurt my back?

If I do lots of sit-ups, then my core and my back should be strong shouldn’t they? So then why do I get back pain? Having strong abs does mean you have a strong core. You can have a six pack and still have a weakened core. There are many muscles in your back that also form a part of your core musculature. Stomach crunches do not strengthen these muscles, and if you are doing sit-ups incorrectly, you can strain them. It is important to focus on strengthening your core muscles in your back, not only your abs.

It is always a good idea to see an experienced biokineticist or a skilled pilates instructor to get exercises designed for you to strengthen your core.

Dr Stuart McGill, a professor of spine biomechanics, believes if you focus on strengthening only one set of muscles within the core, you can destabilize your spine and pull it out of alignment. Dr McGill did research and he found that the amount of load that the spine can bear without injury is greatly reduced when the person pulled in their belly button during crunches. He has come up with a set of basic exercises that can be done to strengthen the entire core, not only the stomach muscles. Below is a picture that depicts the exercises.